Wooden shake shingles have been extremely popular for many years in the building and construction industries, especially for home construction. However, houses with roofs made of wooden shake shingles are a serious fire hazard. In residential areas such as mountain and canyon areas, brush areas and the like, wooden shake shingle roofs are often banned by local government authorities. In fact, there are many instances of residential home fires which have destroyed houses with wooden shake shingle roofs, whereas other houses having fire retardant shingles, such as concrete shakes, have survived the same fires.
Because of the need for a fire resistant and flame retardant substitute for wooden shake shingles, the roofing industry has in recent years witnessed the development of synthetic shake shingles in many forms. In some instances, synthetic shake shingles are intended to closely simulate wooden shakes so they can be cut, nailed or otherwise handled in the same manner as wooden shakes. However, these products, and particularly concrete shake shingles, still suffer from a number of drawbacks. Although synthetic shake shingles can be flame retardant and fire resistant, they are often not easy to install on the roof, and they can add a tremendous amount of weight to the roof when compared with wooden shakes, often requiring additional reinforcement to the roof substructure. They are also prone to chip or crack which can be a problem particularly when a homeowner who is not an experienced roofer needs to walk on the roof.